Chapter 1684 - 1684: Epilogue 29 - The End of the Beginning (10)

She folded her arms while continuing to watch me.

"If you defeat Lilith's vessel, then there's a considerable possibility that you could become her vessel yourself after consuming him. You already possess the power of the Great Green, after all. That gives you an advantage that most people simply don't have."

I didn't answer her.

I wasn't particularly interested in giving her the satisfaction of seeing my reaction.

"Why don't I let you in on a little secret, then?" she asked.

Her smile became slightly wider.

She began walking toward me.

For some reason, I didn't move.

I wanted her to stop coming closer. I wanted to tell her to stay where she was and explain herself from there. Yet, despite those thoughts running through my head, I didn't take a single step backward.

I simply remained where I was and watched her approach.

"You already know that Lilith's vessel is a reincarnator just like you, don't you?" she asked.

Considering everything I already knew about him, that conclusion seemed obvious.

He possessed knowledge from my previous world. He understood things that someone from this world shouldn't have known. He had even incorporated ideas, concepts, and pieces of technology from that world into his life here.

With all of that in mind, assuming that he was another reincarnator wasn't exactly difficult.

"There's something particularly interesting about him," she said. "You remember Kana, don't you?"

My expression immediately changed.

"The woman who died because of your constant harassment at work back then," she continued. "The woman who killed herself from being overworked by you, because you want her to break, and so you can fuck her. No, it's not right to say that she killed herself. You killed her."

"What about her?" I asked.

A strange feeling had already started building in my stomach.

"Don't tell me..."

"Fufufufufu."

She laughed quietly.

That laugh was colder than I remembered.

I'd always had trouble explaining exactly what was so unsettling about her. She had a presence that made her feel less like an ordinary person and more like some kind of evil that simply refused to disappear.

It was like looking at something that couldn't be killed.

You could throw holy water at it.

You could burn it.

You could probably throw an entire church at it if you really felt desperate.

The damn thing would probably just complain about the inconvenience and keep walking.

This time, however, her laughter felt even more sinister than usual.

I felt a chill run down my spine.

"I already know what you're thinking," she said.

She stopped directly in front of me.

"That person..."

Her smile became much more pronounced.

"...is that woman's brother."

For several seconds, I simply stared at her.

"You..."

My voice came out colder than I intended.

"Did you reincarnate me here specifically because of him?"

She didn't answer immediately.

"Was this some kind of elaborate plan from the beginning?" I continued. "Did you put me here so that I would eventually become some kind of final boss for that piece-of-shit bastard to defeat?"

I narrowed my eyes.

"Was this supposed to be some ridiculous revenge story where he eventually comes after me because of what happened to his sister? Do you honestly think I wouldn't recognize something that fucking cliche?"

She laughed again.

"I really like your reaction," she said.

Her expression remained strangely relaxed.

"But no, that's not what happened."

She raised one hand casually.

"I didn't reincarnate Leon myself. My mother did."

"Lilith?"

"That's right. Lilith was the one responsible for reincarnating him. I have no direct connection to that decision beyond the fact that our bodies are similar."

She paused briefly.

"Although, I do believe Mother was fascinated by that boy long before she ever created us."

Her voice became slightly more thoughtful.

"I could feel it."

She placed a hand against herself.

"My body was created from hers, after all. Because of that connection, I can sometimes sense things that she felt or experienced. I can't always understand them completely, but I can tell when something has left a strong impression."

She looked at me again.

"Leon was one of those things."

I remained silent.

"But I don't understand why Mother became so fascinated with him," she continued. "That's exactly why I've decided to choose you instead."

"Choose me for what?"

She smiled.

"To stop him."

Her answer was simple.

Perhaps too simple.

"If you manage to defeat Leon and prevent him from completing whatever he's trying to accomplish, then everything becomes much easier for us."

She spoke as though she were explaining the solution to an incredibly straightforward problem.

"We could restore Lilith, fuck the remaining fragments together, and survive the coming war. You, me, Leona, and the other two fragments would all have a role to play."

She shrugged.

"When you put everything together, it really isn't that complicated."

I stared at her.

"You make it sound incredibly easy."

"Because it is."

"You've got a strange definition of easy."

"Perhaps," she admitted with a small laugh. "Still, the biggest obstacle is Leon himself."

Her expression changed slightly.

"As it turns out, Leon doesn't want Lilith to reincarnate."

That part caught my attention.

"He wants to remain in this world," she continued. "He wants to live his life to the fullest, surrounded by the women he cares about. He has no desire to sacrifice everything he has built simply because someone else believes Lilith's return is inevitable."

She looked away for a moment.

"That's where the problem begins."

I remained quiet while listening.

"If Leon continues down that path, eventually something unavoidable will happen," she said. "Something that will affect far more than just him or the people around him."

Her eyes returned to mine.

"It will eventually threaten the worlds themselves."

The seriousness in her voice made the room feel strangely quiet.

"And that's why I don't believe Leon can succeed."

She smiled faintly.

"He's powerful, certainly. He's clever, and he's accomplished far more than most people could ever hope to accomplish."

Her expression became colder.

"Yet none of that changes the fact that he's trying to prevent something that was always going to happen."

She stepped slightly closer.

"People like him tend to believe that determination is enough to overcome anything."

Her smile widened.

"Sometimes it is."

She paused.

"Sometimes, however, the world simply doesn't care how determined someone happens to be."

I looked at her without saying anything.

"And that's why I chose you," she finally said. "Because I believe you're capable of doing what Leon won't."